Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A competitive game played with pieces and a marked game board, with the pieces individually movable on the board. The game board is of square configuration and marked with adjacent squares of distinctive colors. Each corner square of the board is individually marked with a distinctive color or symbol repsentative of one of the four players who may participate, with all four sets of pieces correspondingly marked. A center square of the board is also distinctively marked and fitted with a trophy piece that may be placed on any player&#39;&#39;s piece. The game is played by each player moving one of his pieces in accordance with the rules of the game so as to capture the trophy by moving the piece into the center square and returning that piece back to his distinctively marked corner square. Individual pieces may be marked with numbers, with scoring based on the number on the piece that captures the trophy multiplied by the number of opponent&#39;&#39;s pieces captured.

United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,905,601

Tindall Sept. 16, 1975 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [57] ABSTRACT [76] Inventor: David Tindan 8'578 A competitive game played with pieces and a marked coronatfon Kelowra, Brmsh game board, with the pieces individually movable on Columbla, Canada the board. The game board is of square configuration [22] Filed; Aug 26, 1974 and marked with adjacent squares of distinctive colors. Each corner, square of the board is individually 1 p 500,279 marked with a distinctive color or symbol repsentative of one of the four players who may participate, with [52] 273/131 AB; 273/131 K; 273/137 R all four sets of'pieces correspondingly marked. A cen- 51 1111.0. A63F 3/00 Square of the board is also distinctively marked [58] Field of Search 273/131 and fitted with a trophy Piece that may be Placed any players piece. The game is played by each player I 56] References Cited moving one of his pieces in accordance with the rules UNITED STATES PATENTS of the game so as to capture the trophy by moving the piece into the center square and returning that piece back to his distinctively marked comer square. lndil 22809l 5H9 fi 273/131 AB vidual pieces may be marked with numbers, with scor- 2,772I885 12/1956 Wales 273 131 AB ing based on the umber the Piece Captures Primary ExaminerDelbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agenl, 0r Firm-Howard l. Podell the trophy multiplied by the number of opponents pieces captured.

,3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BL. G Y G Y G Y G Y G o G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G I Y/ G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G LG G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G" I8 v- Y G Y G Y G Y G Y G Y -fi G Y G Y G Y 6 Y G Y G /7 BR G .Y 6 Y G Y G Y G P PATENTEDSEP 1 61975 905,60 1

BL G Y G Y G Y G Y G 0 l8 !8V-YGYGYGYGYGY' I7V'GYGYGYGYGYG- BR G Y G Y 6 Y G Y G P COLOR LEGEND BL= BLUE G =GREEN Y =YELLOW O' =ORANGE LG =LIGHT GREEN BR=BROWN P =PURPLE FIG.2

' 24 FIG.4 23

BOARD GAME APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

A competitive board game played with a marked board and individual movable playing pieces, and particularly a game that may be played by up to four play ers.

The game board of my invention is in the form of a square, and divided by intersecting lines into a series of marked or colored squares. A center square and each of the four corner squares of the board are individually distinctively marked, with each of four sets of players pieces marked so as to identify it with one of the four corner squares.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the game board of the invention;

FIGv 2 is a chart of color legends;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the playing pieces; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a playing piece.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the game board which is of square configuration and divided into 121 squares marked in varying colors. Each corner square 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D is individually colored to indicate the home square of one of four players, with each set of markers 15 utilized by that player being similarly colored. The central square 14 is also distinctively colored. In the preferred embodiment, the corner squares 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D are colored purple, orange, blue and brown respectivley and the center square 14 is colored light green.

The remaining squares of the board are colored green or yellow in the preferred embodiment, with adjacent squares alternating in color. Squares 17 adjacent to the corner squares 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D are colored green, and the remaining squares 18 are colored yellow.

As shown in FIG. 3, each playing piece 15 is formed of circular shape with a circular projecting ridge 21 mounted on the top face 22 of the piece and a mating circular recess 23 indented in the bottom face 24 of the piece to permit stacking of pieces.

One face 22 of each piece is marked with a numeral 25, with one piece 15X marked with a crown 26 or other distinctive indicia.

In play, each player receives a set of pieces 15 of the color of his corner square 12A, 12B, 12C or 12D which are placed in the yellow squares 18 adjacent his corner square. The pieces are moved, in turn, along diagonal yellow squares 18 in a manner similar to the game of checkers, with players moving a piece one square at a time and jumping opponents pieces as a means of capture.

The special piece 15X is initially located in the central square 14 and is employed to crown a players piece that advances or jumps into the central square. The object of the game is for a player to return his crowned piece back to his corner square. Should the crowned piece be jumped by an opposing players piece, the crown is transferred to the jumping piece.

The rules of this game may be modified to provide for scoring of points utilizing the numerical markings on the pieces of the players, as follows:

The pieces are initially placed on the board, with the numerals on the pieces hidden, by either the player or his opponents. The pieces are then turned upright to reveal the numerals before start of play. The player who wins a round of the game by moving the crowned piece with the captured trophy to his corner square, receives as his score the number of captured pieces multiplied by the numerical value of his crowned piece. In this latter version of the game, team play with two pairs of players may be utilized. Team members may capture each others piece to enable a higher valued piece of their team to capture the trophy, but such captured pieces involve a penalty of a negative score value, determined by the numeral marked on the captured piece.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A game board of square configuration divided into an odd number of marked squares, with each of the four corner squares and the central square individually marked and with the remaining squares marked in alternate fashion such that each such square is surrounded by adjacent squares of another marking than itself, with non-adjacent such squares, that meet at their corners, being of similar marking, together with one playing piece identified by marking with the central square marking, and four sets of pieces, each set being identified by marking with one of the four corner square markings.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the markings are in the form of distinctive colors.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which the piece colored similarly to the color of the central square is identified by an insignia on an external face ofthe piece. 

1. A game board of square configuration divided into an odd number of marked squares, with each of the four corner squares and the central square individually marked and with the remaining squares marked in alternate fashion such that each such square is surrounded by adjacent squares of another marking than itself, with non-adjacent such squares, that meet at their corners, being of similar marking, together with one playing piece identified by marking with the central square marking, and four sets of pieces, each set being identified by marking with one of the four corner square markings.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the markings are in the form of distinctive colors.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which the piece colored similarly to the color of the central square is identified by an insignia on an external face of the piece. 